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Will Odell Beckham Jr. be the next victim of the Madden NFL cover athlete curse?

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Madden NFL 16 | Official First Look Trailer | Be The Playmaker
Odell Beckham Jr., a young wide receiver for the New York Giants, has just been voted in as cover athlete for Madden NFL 16, beating out more experienced players Patrick Peterson (cornerback, Cardinals), Rob Gronkowski (tight end, Patriots) and Antonio Brown (wide receiver, Steelers). The trailer above, also just released, features all of the contending athletes and a first look at the game in action. Given the long history of cover athletes falling to the so-called “Madden Curse,” does this mean that Beckham’s fledgling career is already doomed?

Man I just personally wanna thank all the love and support from everybody for voting today !! It's mean so much to be on the cover of Madden

— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) May 14, 2015

“Odell Beckham Jr. is a true playmaker and a perfect fit for this year’s game,” said Randy Chase from EA Sports in the announcement post. “He’s an unstoppable force out on the field, and the Madden NFL 16 cover is further vindication that the fans believe he’s a player to watch in the coming years.”

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What the post fails to mention is the notorious Madden Curse that has befallen nearly every cover athlete of the venerable football series since 1999. Of the 19 players to be featured on the cover of Madden NFL prior to this year, 18 have had troubled seasons following their stint on the cover (cataloged here), many being taken out of the game by injury shortly thereafter. The curse started in 1999 with 49ers running back Garrison Hearst, who broke his ankle soon after being featured on the cover. Most recently, Seahawks corner-back Richard Sherman  tore a ligament in his elbow during the NFC Championship game.

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Beckham, picked out of LSU in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, has had an explosive rookie season. In just twelve games he ran over 1,300 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He does not seem to be worried about the curse cutting his promising career short, however, citing his faith as a shield.

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I believe in God and his divine plan not something that is wished upon of others ! #WalkinByFaith pic.twitter.com/CgqJvR6FAh

— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) May 14, 2015

What do you think? Is faith in God and a youthful belief in invincibility enough to protect Beckham, or are the cosmic forces conspiring against him simply too great?

Madden NFL 16 is now available for pre-order, and is set to launch on August 25, 2015 for PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

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Will Fulton
Will Fulton
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…
The history of the Madden Curse
John Madden bursts through the cover of Madden NFL 23: All Madden Edition.

More than 20 years into the iconic franchise's history, there's almost no escaping the Madden Curse. Since Garrison Hearst broke his ankle in 1998 shortly after appearing on the cover of Madden NFL 99, most of the players who starred on the game's cover have suffered an injury the following season. Of the 22 players who have been selected to grace the cover of Madden games, 16 have had troubling or abruptly shortened seasons following their cover debut -- including several who suffered season-ending injuries shortly after their game hit shelves.

EA Sports continues to dismiss any serious talk of a curse hovering over its wildly successful franchise and attributed the rash of injuries and other negative, post-cover issues to an athlete's natural regression after a season of peak performance. They're probably right -- but Madden NFL 21 gave us another chance to test the curse. Lamar Jackson seemingly passed the test, but the injury bug plagued the Ravens backfield a season later in the form of season-ending injuries to all their running backs.

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Madden NFL 23’s ‘no-brainer’ cover star is John Madden
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EA has confirmed rumors that Coach John Madden will be the cover star of Madden NFL 23. 
John Madden, who had a long career as both the coach of the Oakland Raiders and a football analyst, died in December 2021. EA is honoring Madden -- the namesake and inspiration behind its highly successful football game franchise -- by renaming a recently renovated field at its Redwood Shores headquarters to the "John Madden Field" and putting him on the cover of Madden NFL 23. There will be three unique covers, including one by artist Chuck Styles for the digital-exclusive Madden NFL 23 All-Madden Edition.

Speaking to Digital Trends, executive producer Aaron McHardy said that EA typically looks at the most exciting and Madden brand-aligned athletes in the NFL when choosing a cover star. But he says there wasn't much of a debate about who would headline the next game after the team learned of Madden's death.
"I don't even think there were discussions as everybody just arrived at the fact that he's going back on the cover because we have to honor him in the best way we possibly can," McHardy said. "It's been so long since he was on the cover of the game, but the game has got his name on it every single year, so we wanted to do everything we could to honor the legend like he is, and it was a no-brainer to put him on the cover." 
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"I didn't have the pleasure of speaking with him, but I know a lot of the guys on the team did." McHardy continued. "He was invested in making sure that our game was the most authentic 11v11 football game that it could be. It was obviously a sad and somber moment to lose someone like Coach Madden, but it really energized the team in a way this year to think about our features, what we're building, and how we can honor that legacy." Madden NFL 23 will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S later this year. 

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